Buried Alive
by youmeandthehurricane
Summary: Astra and Non have attacked Lord Technologies. Alex manages to shield Max from immediate danger, but can they survive what comes next (or will Alex kill him first)?
Alex Danvers folded her arms across her chest and studied the map that Hank Henshaw had pulled up on the main computer screen. Kara stood next to her and followed along with Hank's explanation of the map. It showed the streets in the centre of National City. Five red dots pulsed over specific landmarks, spread out in a circle.

'The dots are the locations where Astra and Non have attacked so far,' Hank said, gesturing. 'They seem to be working systematically, moving in a circle spiralling inwards. I think that the next likely target will be situated somewhere on this block.'

Alex stared at the block of space that Hank was referring to. 'What's on that block?' She asked.

'Funny you should ask,' Hank replied with a grim smile, 'Lord Technologies owns that entire piece of real estate.'

'Of course he does,' Alex groaned, rolling her eyes. 'Any idea what Astra and Non are looking for?'

'Astra said that she needed more power to do what needed to be done,' Kara chipped in, 'but I thought she meant more physical power. I thought she was talking about me, about how she wants me to join her. Maybe she meant something that will power something else, like a weapon.' She shrugged.

'It's as good a theory as any,' Hank nodded. 'In the meantime, I think we'd better pay our friend Maxwell Lord a visit.'

'Great,' Alex sighed.

* * *

Alex, Hank and Kara entered the Lord Technologies main building, a towering cathedral of glass and metal with walkways and corridors spanning the length and height of the central atrium. It was an impressive place. Grandiose. _Typical Max_ , thought Alex dryly. Hank alerted the security desk of their arrival and the message had been referred through to Maxwell Lord's office. They didn't have to wait long before Maxwell came striding into the lobby from one of the many corridors, two burly men in suits trailing behind him. He was dressed immaculately in black slacks and a pale blue shirt open at the collar.

'Director Henshaw, Agent Danvers. And Supergirl! To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?' Max opened his arms in mock greeting, his charming smile only serving to annoy the three DEO agents.

'We have reason to believe that your facility is in imminent danger of attack from the Kryptonians that escaped Fort Rozz,' Hank said calmly. 'We thought it best to warn you so you could evacuate your staff and assist us in determining what they might be looking for.'

'And what is it you think they might be looking for, Director? You might have to be a little specific, I've got quite a number of projects going on in this facility. Wouldn't want to waste the space, you know?'

'Are you working on anything that powers something?' Alex interrupted, tired of Max's showing off. 'Like a super battery or…'

Max pretended to think. 'A super battery…interesting. I'm sure Supergirl knows all about that kind of thing. It's the yellow sun, isn't it? That gives you your powers?'

Kara's eyes widened. 'How do you know that?'

Max shrugged. 'Sorry Supergirl, you're the two point oh remember? Superman's kind of been around for a while.'

'Have you got something like that or not, Max?' Alex snapped.

He raised his hands in a placating gesture. 'I might have been toying with something, yes.'

'Then we need to get it somewhere safe,' Hank said immediately.

'I think it's far too late for that.' The voice came from behind them, dripping with amusement. Kara spun around to find her criminal aunt and uncle standing just inside the huge glass doors, triumphant glares on their faces.

Alex tore her gun out of its holster at her hip. 'Get everyone out of here!' She spat at Max. He sent the two bodyguards that had accompanied him away to see that his employees got out safely.

'So Mr. Lord,' Astra crooned, 'are you going to be cooperative, or will we have to do this the hard way?'

'Never really been the cooperative type,' Max said with his usual bravado.

'That's a shame,' Astra replied. 'The hard way it is then.'

'Move!' Hank shouted as the two Kryptonians flew at them. Kara jumped to intercept them as Hank and Alex backed Max towards a corridor, trying to get a clear shot with their specially altered guns. Alex had hated the idea of packing Kryptonite ammunition because she could just as easily hurt Kara, but it was the only way that they'd be able to help take down Astra or Non.

Alex thought she had a clean shot and pulled the trigger only to watch the bullet smash a window far behind her intended target. Supergirl was engaged with Non, the impacts of their fight shattering tiles and glass. Leaving her husband to her niece, Astra suddenly appeared in front of Max. He was lifted off of his feet, Astra's hand gripping his throat.

'Be a good boy and tell me where you've hidden it,' she growled. Max clawed at her hand helplessly as Alex swung the barrel of her gun around, but again she was too slow. Astra flung Max across the hall. He hit the wall with a thud, falling unconsciously to the ground just under one of the corridors' archways. Astra raised her fist to strike Alex, but she'd forgotten about Hank. She stumbled as a Kryptonite bullet tore through her thigh. Her mangled scream attracted the attention of Non who had just pummelled Supergirl into a crater in the floor.

'NO!' His cry was filled with rage. Supergirl could do nothing but watch as Non swooped down and batted Alex away like a fly, sending her sliding across the floor nearer to where Max was sprawled. Pushing herself up, grunting from the sudden pain, she crawled closer to Max and her gun, wondering if he was still alive. She looked back and saw Non knock Hank to the ground. He glanced back at Alex, menace boiling in his dark eyes, eyes that were turning red. Alex didn't even have time to realise what was happening. Streams of burning red light shot forth from Non's eyes, exploding into the wall high above her head. She felt the building shake and heard a rumbling like an earthquake. Fear spread through her like wildfire as broken chunks of cement tumbled and crashed to the floor about a metre in front of her. She turned her head in panic only to watch as more debris fell behind her. She was going to be crushed. Alex pulled Max's body into a crumpled ball, leaning over his head, and wrapped her own head in her arms, waiting for the ceiling to collapse on top of her. Waiting for her death.

* * *

Darkness surrounded Alex Danvers. Her ears were ringing and her hands stung, covered in numerous cuts and a lot of dust. As her senses slowly returned to her, she was aware of a painful throbbing in her left leg. Raising her head gently, she opened her eyes. The darkness was absolute. Her heart thumped hard in her chest as the noise of trickling dust and settling debris echoed around her. She was alive. Buried alive. Forcing down her panic, she took stock of her injuries. Something heavy had landed on her leg just below the knee and she found that could barely move it. As she was trailing her fingers up along her body to feel for blood or broken bones, she suddenly remembered Max lying prostrate next to her. Feeling slightly guilty, she felt around in the dark for his face, pressing her fingers against his neck to check for his pulse. A relieved sigh she didn't know she was holding escaped her when his heartbeat thudded under her shaking fingertips. Just unconscious then. She'd need to have a look at his injuries too, just in case, but that was going to be extremely difficult in the dark.

An idea came to her and she leaned down to the floor, searching hopefully for her gun. It had been right next to her when she'd fallen and she quickly found it, curling her hand around the stock and feeling for the button that would turn on the mounted torch. The white light was harsh after the unending darkness, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut. It took her a few moments to get used to it. Alex removed the remaining bullets from the chamber, placing them inside a jacket pocket, and pointed the torch at Max. His face was filthy, the dirt mixing with blood from a cut on his forehead. He had been lucky. All of his injuries were minor, mostly just cuts and bruises that weren't going to threaten his life. Looking around at her prison, Alex supposed they had been saved by the corridor archway. Structurally, doorways were supposed to be the sturdiest part of a building. She remembered her fifth grade teacher telling her class that they should stand under a doorway if there was ever an earthquake. The space they were in was high enough for her to stand as long as she bent her head, and both long enough and wide enough to lie down in. They had been so lucky.

Alex's thoughts were turning to her sister when a groan escaped from Max's lips. His eyes fluttered open and he stared unseeingly at her for a moment.

'Max?' Alex asked uncertainly. He blinked and screwed up his face, clearly becoming aware of the various spots of pain on his body.

'What happened?' He croaked. 'Where are we?'

'Non collapsed the wall,' she answered, her throat tight. 'We're…we're buried under the wreckage.'

Max swallowed, finally registering his surroundings. A tiny bubble of fear began rapidly expanding in his chest.

Alex couldn't tell how much time had passed. Her leg still throbbed badly, but there was nothing that she could use to make a splint. Max had slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position and they had sat as if shell shocked for a while. Eventually Max's thoughts got the better of him.

'Any ideas for getting out of here?' He asked all of a sudden, desperate to break the doom laden silence. Alex regarded him curiously. She wondered if he was scared.

'Supergirl can dig us out as long as she…' Alex trailed off, realising that she had no idea of the outcome of the battle that had taken place less than 20 metres from where they were buried. Was she ok? Did she manage to defeat Non? What had happened to Hank? The questions whirled through her mind and she had to fight to push them away and focus.

'As long as she beat the alien that attacked us,' Max finished for her. 'And as long as this thing stays standing.' He gestured at the roof over their heads. Alex pursed her lips. She couldn't afford to think about that. 'Do you want me to look at that leg?'

Alex glanced down, wincing at the sight of her leg bent at an awkward angle. She figured there was something broken, but having a diagnosis wasn't going to help her.

'No, thank you.' She said shortly.

Max shrugged. 'Suit yourself. So were those two aliens friends of yours?'

'We've dealt with them before, yes,' Alex huffed, 'but it's been…complicated.'

'Do enlighten me.' Alex hesitated. She wasn't about to tell Maxwell Lord that Astra and Non were Supergirl's relatives. That wouldn't go down well. 'Oh, come on Alex! Don't you trust me?' Max grinned.

'Not really,' Alex replied. 'Now shut up would you? You're wasting the oxygen.' Max's face dropped a little, aware that there was some truth to Alex's snarky rebuff. He shifted, trying to obtain a modicum of comfort against the rough concrete wall.

'And if Supergirl lost?' He asked quietly.

Alex stared at the wall. 'I don't know.' She said eventually.

* * *

Max kept trying to make small talk which infuriated Alex, but it was the only way that he could keep himself calm. There was a very real possibility that they weren't getting out of this, that he would die buried under god knows how much rubble along with Alex, the woman who hated him and that he couldn't quite bring himself to hate. It had been late afternoon when the building had collapsed, the sun only an hour or so away from setting. Max figured that it had set by now and that it had taken the last dregs of warmth with it because he was starting to get cold. Alex was curled up at the other end of the little cavern, her eyes closed. He wasn't sure if she was asleep or just pretending so that she didn't have to talk to him. He thought about trying to sleep himself, but he just brought his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them for warmth, and watched Alex rest.

Alex kept her breathing even, hoping that Max would think she was asleep. He had done nothing but talk since he'd woken up and she would've liked nothing more than to knock him out again. Restraint had won over this time, but his luck might not last. Out of all the people she could've been buried alive with, Maxwell Lord would've been her last choice. She just hoped that Kara would come for them soon.

Alex shifted restlessly as she woke causing tears to spring into her eyes from the pain of moving her leg. Her breath caught in her chest as she remembered where she was. She heaved herself up from the floor, wincing, and gasped as her senses awoke to the cold. Goosebumps covered her arms and legs despite her close fitting combat blacks. She noticed Max, curled up in the same position he had been in before she'd fallen asleep, watching her.

'It must be the middle of the night,' she said absently. 'Was I asleep for long?'

'A while,' he replied. Peering through the torchlight she saw that he was shivering, his face pale and tired.

'Have you even moved?'

He shook his head. 'Thought I'd keep watch. Lions and tigers and bears and all that.' He attempted a grin, but it looked more to Alex like a grimace. _He must be freezing_ , she thought, glancing at his thin shirt, the cuffs dirty and torn. With a sigh, she dragged herself slowly over to sit next to him, huddling shoulder to shoulder. Max watched her with a look of puzzlement on his face. 'Is this Alex Danvers asking for a hug? Or should I be worried you've got a knife somewhere in that suit?'

'You'd be dead before you saw where it was anyway,' Alex quipped.

Max laughed softly. 'Nothing like death threats to cheer you up.'

They lapsed into silence, both of them rubbing their hands together every so often to keep warm. Max was very aware of Alex huddled beside him, her elbow poking slightly into his side. He was exhausted, but the cold was biting into him, keeping him awake.

'Why do you hate Supergirl so much?' Alex asked suddenly, catching Max off guard.

'She's not human,' he said after a moment's thought, 'she's powerful and dangerous and only needs a push in the wrong direction. What's to stop her from becoming like those two that attacked us?'

'The fact that she's not like them at all,' Alex replied hotly, 'Supergirl is a good person, she saves peoples' lives. What's the difference whether she's human or not? There are bad humans that kill people every day.'

'True,' Max conceded, 'but aliens like Supergirl could wipe a city out just by knocking all the buildings down as she flew past. It would be so easy.'

'As opposed to the difficulty of killing millions with nuclear warfare?' Alex looked up at Max, trying to read his expression. 'Seriously Max, what's your problem?'

'Do you really think that all the alien threats we've had since Superman and Supergirl showed up would exist if they'd never come here?' Max burst out. 'That our cities would be warzones? Ok, so humanity's not perfect. But we have to be the ones to save ourselves, we don't need aliens fighting their wars on our planet, bringing us into their fights and then claiming that they're saving lives. What happens when Supergirl's not around anymore for whatever reason?'

It all came tumbling out and Alex didn't really know how to reply. She could defend Kara to the death, but Max wasn't exactly attacking Kara.

'What about what we can learn from them?' She tried.

Max laughed humourlessly. 'I would've thought you'd be on top of that Agent Danvers. The DEO hasn't weaponised Supergirl's powers yet?'

They fell into silence again. Alex fumed, but she was more annoyed that Max's argument wasn't completely irrational than anything else. Also, she hated it when he called her Agent Danvers.

'You know what, forget it.' Max said quietly, standing up. He walked slowly across the cavern, hunched over, stretching his legs. His arms were wrapped tightly around himself and he didn't look back at Alex. He was losing his cool and he hated it. There was no way he was going to appear vulnerable in front of Alex Danvers despite how much he wanted to curl up beside her and sleep, hoping that she'd keep him warm.

Alex's face softened. Now she could see the cracks in his smug veneer. Not that she could blame him, she was terrified too. His pacing was painful to watch. It dragged out the seconds, the minutes, until she couldn't take it anymore.

'Max, will you come and sit down?' She said impatiently. She didn't like to admit that she'd been a lot colder since he'd gotten up. He glanced at Alex out of the corner of his eye, but then relented and returned to the spot next to her. She surprised him when she hooked her arm under his, shuffling in closer to him.

'Always knew you couldn't resist me,' Max mumbled, pulling his arm away so that he could drape it around her shoulders. She was shivering.

'Keep dreaming asshole,' Alex murmured back, encircling his waist with her arms. 'I'm frickin' cold.'

Max felt his fear ebb away slowly as if the warmth from Alex's body was melting it like ice next to a flame. Tiredness overwhelmed him and he drifted off to sleep, resting his head atop Alex's soft, red hair. He slept for a long time, dreams bouncing around his skull. Images of Supergirl rescuing him over and over again flitted behind his eyelids and he felt ashamed with each rescue. Eventually Supergirl disappeared and he was standing in front of a building, his building. It was collapsing, caving in like an avalanche. The ground under his feet rumbled and shook, but he was safe. Then he heard screaming. He looked up and yelled, lurching forward. Alex was still inside, her leg trapped under a metal beam. He tried to get to her, but his feet were glued to the pavement and he couldn't move. _Alex!_ He couldn't save her. There was nothing he could do except watch as she disappeared from view.

Max bolted upright, his eyes snapping open. His heart thumped painfully in his chest and he felt clammy, his hair slightly damp with cold sweat. _It was a dream,_ he told himself, _a nightmare._ A voice broke through his disorientation.

'Max, are you alright?' He turned to see Alex looking at him worriedly, one hand still on his chest. The words wouldn't come out. Sure, it had been a dream, but he wasn't able to save her in real life either. They were still trapped in this hell hole and there was nothing he could do about it. For all his intelligence, his money, his bravado, he still couldn't save Alex Danvers, despite his speech about humans saving themselves earlier. He just had to hope that Supergirl could. 'Max!'

'I'm good,' Max coughed, 'just making sure you were awake.' Alex peered at him through the gloom. He'd given her a right fright, jolting up like that. She knew he was lying about being ok because his heart was crashing against her fingertips.

'We're going to get out of here Max.' Alex said softly, returning to their mutual embrace. She noticed he held onto her a little bit tighter than before and briefly wondered what the hell she was doing. _Surviving_ , she told herself. She wasn't convinced. Even as she'd tried to comfort Max (something else that she wasn't sure from whence it came), Alex felt doubt creep into her thoughts. They'd been trapped for hours now and nothing had changed. If Kara didn't rescue them soon, they'd run out of oxygen and she would be found dead in Maxwell Lord's arms. A grimace plastered itself onto her face. Had she really just pictured that? But as Alex let herself be held, she knew that right now, she needed Max. And Max certainly needed her. Insanity and despair would've infiltrated their minds long before now if they had've been alone. They were keeping each other alive through more than just warmth.

They talked about trivial things, distracting each other. Max told her about all of his degrees. Alex talked about her early days as a scientist. A silent tear slid down Alex's cheek as she thought of Kara, but she didn't move to brush it away. Max had intensely mixed feelings. There was no one that he cared about, no one that he would leave behind if he were to die here. No family, certainly no friends. He felt horribly lonely until he realised that he was with the only person he actually cared about, the only person who had ever made him feel different. He kissed her softly on the forehead before he knew what he was doing.

'What was that for?' Alex murmured, stunned.

'Must be losing my mind.' Max replied. They exchanged small smiles and Alex pulled him closer. She opened her mouth to make a witty remark when the sound of shifting rubble echoed above them. They froze, straining their ears, wondering if the building was finally about to come down and end their lives. When nothing moved but the noise continued, they separated and looked up to where a trickle of disturbed dust floated down from the wall.

'Max,' Alex whispered, 'someone's out there!'

Max grasped Alex's hand and they waited in agonised silence as the sound got closer. Hardly daring to breathe, they cried out with joy when a hole suddenly appeared in the wall of their prison, dim light forcing its way through the dust. A hand scrabbled at the edges, hurriedly pulling away more debris.

'Alex!' Kara's terrified voice was music to Alex's ears.

'I'm here!' Alex cried back, tears streaming down her dirty face. More and more of the wall came away as Kara's face came into view. Soon there was a hole big enough to crawl through.

'Alex, I can't move anymore,' Kara sobbed, 'it's not safe. Give me your hand and I'll pull you through!'

'I-I can't…' Alex mumbled, 'my leg…' She couldn't support her weight to get near the hole.

'Come here,' Max said, ducking under Alex's arm and taking her weight. He lifted her up and they hobbled over to the hole.

'Max?' Kara was surprised. She felt slightly awful that she'd completely forgotten about Maxwell Lord in her desperation to save her sister.

'Can you reach her?' He asked Alex as she reached up for Kara's hand. Max lifted her gently and Kara grasped Alex's wrist firmly, hauling her up through the opening with ease. Kara carried her away from the rubble, lowering her to the floor. She hugged Alex fiercely and her sister returned the embrace with a sob, but then pushed her away.

'Get him out of there,' Alex said, gripping Kara's wrist.

Kara nodded and returned to the cavern, leaning through to grab Max's hand. Dust cascaded down from the roof where Kara had shifted the debris.

'Hurry! It's collapsing!' Kara called as Max jumped to reach her. She pulled, lifting him out as the space behind him filled with rubble, the disturbance causing the whole structure to become unstable. A chunk of concrete tumbled down and struck Max on the ankle as Kara pulled him clear, causing him to cry out in pain. He felt the bones in his ankle break as he was dragged away from the wreckage that had almost been his coffin. Kara whisked them both outside and set them down on the pavement where Hank Henshaw was waiting, the dawn peeking above the horizon turning the sky a peachy colour. Alex felt a weight lift in her chest when she saw that Hank was alive. She noticed that his right eye was swollen shut and he held his right arm oddly, as if it was dislocated.

'Now we match,' Max hissed through his teeth, wincing and gesturing to his mangled foot. Alex flung her arms around his shoulders with a strangled laugh. Kara and Hank watched, incredulous, as the two of them clung together before Alex demanded another hug from her sister.

'What happened in there?' Kara whispered in Alex's ear.

'Not now,' Alex replied. 'Tell us what happened to you.'

Kara and Hank explained as best they could what had happened while they flew Alex and Max back to the DEO's secret base for medical treatment. Non had thrown a superhuman punch at Hank before scooping his injured wife up in his arms and fleeing. Kara hadn't tried to follow him as she was already hurt from the fight and didn't have a chance against a rage-fuelled Non. She had been able to save Hank, flying him back to the DEO for treatment, but had then been held there against her will while she recovered.

'I very nearly attacked Vasquez for keeping me there,' she said quietly. 'She thought you were both dead.'

'And I'm very glad you're not,' Hank growled, his smile turning into a grimace as pain shot through his battered face.

'So am I,' Alex agreed, glancing at Max who, Kara noticed, hadn't taken his eyes off Alex since they'd arrived at the base. Days later, Alex told Kara that surviving being buried alive was an experience that she wouldn't have made it through, at least with her sanity intact, without Max there. Despite this, Kara nearly choked when she walked into their apartment a week later and found Alex and Max asleep together on the couch.


End file.
